Wcml Preston To Crewe Discussion

The write up for this route says the Deepdale branch at Preston is included. So that's one ticked off the list as a definite.

 

I believe its been said that Simtrack (the developer) had abandoned it.

 

Not officially abandoned, but it isn't in active development

 

Also the complete Settle line or I'm just not going to buy it

 

1986-87 is before my time but would there have been any slam-door EMUs around Crewe-Preston? Would be a tasty DLC pack for the future.

 

Think I saw Rod Hull around there a few times so quite possibly

 

Class 304s ran from Crewe to Liverpool/Manchester at that time. Would be a nice dlc but sadly all were scrapped so i dont think it will happen. Unrefurbished class 303s were also used, so that might be possible as there is one preserved

 

Personally looks great.

 

wow its moved on a bit since this, but i couldn't agree more on the your thinking behind the 304, without liverpool it seems a step too far.

as for liverpool as some have already mentioned its a massive undertaking in addition to what's already being done, im just happy at what they are doing and from the screenshots its looking good already.

as for the mega route it will be interesting to see if it uses the same timetable as WCMLos, in theory there is no reason why they could release the full lot if the timetable was the same. BPO would need a new full timetable however as that was a saturday based timetable rather than a week day before you could add that. i do believe that this was JTs thinking when starting out in a similar way they did MML on TSC. the big issue (without trying to open a massive worm hole) would be console uses and that they wouldn't be able to cope with such a large route. this is the reason the route hop needs an upgrade but that's a different topic so ill leave that there for now

i know its 1989

 

That’s sad. Vintage stuff is rare on here.

 

Crikey, imagine being taken to hospital in that first one

Missing the blue lights though

 

i missed that good one

 

First picture I found of 86401 is July 1986, so it did exist. Might just be done as a bonus later release like the 87 livery variations were.

 

Looks as though we are going to see HAA hoppers for coal services, which is a great addition. Surely the Class 56 is pending development….

 

I'd hope Bold would come in later when JT do Liverpool-York via St Helens Junction. With a Deltic of course .

I think there was a line from St Helens to Fiddler's ferry though, the Runcorn Gap maybe?

I live in south St Helens and you can't walk far without tripping over old lines and cuttings from all the Collierys around here.

 

Very excited about the Deepdale branch being included, it’s a fascinating little section. Had a mate in high school whose house backed into the line just by the Miley Tunnel and there were all sorts of ludicrous urban legends about it.

 

Hopefulle the bogies of the Class86 will be fixed after the release of TSW6. The frames in the dev screens are still to low.

 

Another route to Crewe...oh joy.
This is what? The 3rd?

We should have gotten something more interesting like the S&C.

 

The S&C in the 1980s was atrocious, BR were desperately trying to close it down and services were very limited. If however you mean as a present day route then fair enough, the 158 would fit nicely though we could do with a 156 to give it more variety, maybe log train wagons to go with yet another 66 too

 

The old line past Haydock Park was still in use for a factory in Haydock (or thereabouts) till around 89. Ran right down the side of Ashton Heath near my Grandparents and Uncles house.

Be amazing if it was included!

 

Id prefer even older. 1960s, end of steam on the S&C.
The thrash of a 28 on that

 

Well the Co-Bo would be a fantastic addition, I am sure that once we have him running again there will be plenty of folks out there wanting to do sound recordings - heck myself included, I've been working on the thing for over a decade and am still waiting with baited breath to hear it running for real

To be fair, by the time we do get the Co-Bo running again IRL the guys at DTG might have finally fixed the steam mechanics and we could have a fully functional 1960s timetable

 

Even today, only 27 services passed through Settle in a 24 hour period - that would be a very underwhelming timetable for the game!

People complain WCMLOS is dull, apart from having a few more stations, S&C would be even duller for most players.

 

Said this before I believe, but something that really gets overlooked by so many is that a lot of routes in real life just won't have the same appeal in a game. The fact it's light traffic ironically is what makes it popular in real life, makes rail tours much easier to slot in all the time, plus it's just a very pretty area. The people on board tours probably ain't gonna care that there ain't tons of shunting and service variety along the route. If anything that just means less chances for traffic and buildings to ruin their sightseeing.

It's like the difference between what you want to watch for fun on TV versus actually live in. Zombies are a cool set piece in fiction, probably wouldn't be thrilled if a EAS like this-

-actually ever had to be issued in earnest!

 

Are we getting any stopping services that’ll stop at the smaller ststions like Leyland, Euxton, Acton Bridge, Hartford & Winsford? Also I heard a rumour that they might include the slither from Wigan to Warrington via Newton-Le-Willows & Earlestown?

 

There is Also Euxton Balshaw Lane I think that might be somewhere else though

 

Very true. I mean there are those of us who hanker after something from the BR Classic days in the North or West Highlands of Scotland, but bimbling along those lines behind a Class 26 or 37 with your head hanging out a Mark One coach door window doesn’t quite translate into making an entertaining DLC from three trains a day in each direction. Sane goes for scenic routes like the Central Wales or Cambrian Coast, though the latter does have a slightly more frequent service.

 

Euxton Balshaw Lane reopened in 1997.

 

To be fair, I did enjoy thrashing a 37 on the WHL in TSC but it was mainly because I was getting the most out of a AP enhancement pack, the scenery was good but it was TSC and old at that. I do think it would be a much better experience in TSW - the ability to get out and wander around the stations is a massive draw to me (along with doing my own tying on/off) however I think such a long route driven at such a low speed has very limited appeal, more so than the limited number of services/things going on along the route.

I'm sure there will be, there were Liverpool-Blackpool services which even if JT don't include the Wigan-Liverpool leg should be drivable between Wigan and Preston. Likewise there were Crewe - Liverpool stoppers which should be in there as far as Acton Bridge (though disappointing to start/stop at a random station halfway along the journey). Balshaw Lane is a new station opened in 1997 built to replace one which had closed in 1969 so shouldn't be there.

 

If Parkside Colliery is included then not a rumour. It' was on the Chat Moss line just East of Newton Le Willows so Coal to Fiddlers Ferry would head west to Earlestown then down to Winwick jcn (passing the Vulcan foundry), then reverse at Walton Old Jcn or the MSC sidings, then down the Arpley Branch lines, reverse Latchford then along the Low Level route to Fiddlers Ferry PS.

 

It's a shame there is no EMU for the stoppers to Crewe. The 101 is starting to get over used if they go with that.

 

Trying to remember what EMU's were on the stoppers in 1986. Not sure if the 304's had been replaced by then, possibly by 303's cascaded from Scotland or maybe 310's. But yes the Class 101 will be absolutely incorrect if that's what they use. Should be an appropriate EMU.

 

Used to work stone chippings down the Haydock branch to the tar plant in the early 2000's.



It was an interesting job in that we took the train down to Springs Branch, attached a brake van and then propelled into Kelbits sidings. When the train was done, we propelled the entire thing the 4 miles back down the slow lines to Springs Branch! Then ran round on the goods lines before heading back north. Quite the move.

 

You mean route hopping?

 

It's a good addition. JR does quality stuff. Now you can more or less go from Carlistle to Crewe (or Bkacpool) With the Euston to Birmingham and the Birmingham to Crewe, that'll be most of the WCML.
Granted it's "route hopping" but to be fair, that's a DTG core issue not Just Trains, and you stop at stations anyway for passengers so it's a nice chance to get a cup and stretch your legs =-)

 

304s from the 60s until early 90s. They then put the service into an extension to Birmingham. Which has kind of stuck ever since.

 

Thanks for that. I honestly thought the 304’s had gone by then, but that said I do remember travelling back from Manchester to Crewe at some point in the early 90’s on one.

 

A couple even made it into Regional Railways IIRC. Were great over the points at Ditton on the up fast!!

 

In my opinion WCML Preston - Crewe just feels like a Preston- Carisle ripoff, just the same class 86 when they could have added the class 85 or 84 both of them are unique

but instead of that route they probably should have done London Tilbury & Southend line in the 1980s instead of this

 

I suspect they will use Pacer/101s at first in order to keep traffic levels looking good, but hopefully an EMU will follow. Could use the same 30x base model on several other 80s routes too.

 

But how does one get sounds for the 85 when there’s only one left and it’s not even in an operational state?

not sure about the 84 but it’s kinda important to get for the 85 or at least the way just trains does stuff

 

why this line specifically?

 

My bets are that Crewe will be the new Preston. Lots of places to go from there, be it Trent Valley, North Wales Coast or Crewe - Derby

 

I saw a class 85 being transported by lorry on the motorway a couple of weeks ago, had no idea it was the only one!

 

To be fair, while you are correct they did "run" the 85 (might have been the 84 actually come to think of it) just a few years back, lifted off it's bogies they energised it and brought it back to life. That would be able to provide some of the sounds if they did it again, plus a lot of the noises from the various "Roarers" could be reproduced fairly easily, while they have distinctive noises they are not necessarily unique (traction motor blowers being shared between various classes - also easy enough to run again, TM sounds are usually similar as they tend to be the same/similar models etc...)

As for the 85 on the low-loader, yeah that was going to/from Derby for the 200 year celebrations and is a sole survivor.

 

Funny thing is if you mix a 91 with an 86 it's not far off the sound of an 85....

 

There are lots of footage of the class 85 and 84

 

I know but isn’t just trains’s whole strategy towards getting high quality and usable sounds from the train itself?

look it would probably not sound correct with using just videos

 

Indeed. While not suitable or copyrighted for use directly, it should provide enough reference for a skilled audio engineer to do the mix. They could always talk to SimRail and “do a deal” for the EU07 sounds which are very similar, given the prototype was based on the UK Class 83. Heck have a field trip to Poland and do some recordings of their own.

 

I missed that, it’ll have the infamous Miley Tunnel! I wonder if it’ll include the branch line out to the bitumen processing factory on Preston docks? It’s a very short branch, but has a challenging steep gradient up to the Royal Mail sorting office by Preston station.